Mending Wings
by MUZBNUTS
Summary: Eight years ago tonight, events took place that changed Barbara and Helena's life forever. Each year, on this night, they struggle with the demons of their past. But this year, there is a third Bird in the mix. This year, everything's different.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I know it's been forever since I wrote a fanfic around here. I just haven't been all that inspired lately. Then, one day, I was rewatching my BOP episodes for a Turn Back the Clock review I was planning to write. Suddenly, I was inspired. An idea hit me and I thought - I don't think anyone's written this idea before. But I wondered if I could pull it off...I mean, it has been a long time since I've written a fic. Oh well, I guess I'll never know until I try, right? Well, here goes:

* * *

A scream pierced the night and curious spectators gathered around the woman lying on the ground, her teenage daughter kneeling beside her, desperately trying to staunch the flow of blood that poured from the woman's abdomen. The young girl pleaded for someone to stop her mother's attacker who ran unmolested into the crowd and seemed to vanish within. Seeing that her cries to the crowd would go unheeded, the girl turned to pleading with her mother to stay alive…not to leave her…but those cries went unanswered as well, as the woman was already dead.

Helena bolted straight up in bed, sweat plastering her hair to her brow and streaming in rivulets down her face. Sweat mingled with tears. Tears for the woman in her dream. For this was no ordinary nightmare. This was a revisitation of the night on which Helena watched in helpless agony as her mother's blood pooled on the cold, wet sidewalk while her killer ran away into the night. A night which took place eight years ago to this date.

"Hey," mumbled her bed partner as he roused from a deep slumber. "You alright?"

Helena placed her face in her hands, sighed and swiped away all evidence of tears. Then she slid out from under the twisted covers and headed toward the bathroom.

"Fine," she threw over her shoulder, glancing at the clock on the nightstand as she passed. "It's 8am. You up for a shower?"

Jesse stared as Helena's lithe form crossed the room and stopped suggestively at the bathroom door. Tired as he was, he simply found Helena's offer irresistible and, growling, made a show of jumping out of the bed and chasing after her as she entered the bathroom. He knew she was dodging his earlier question - that something was bothering her - but Jesse also knew that pushing the issue with Helena would only make her back away from him. Right now, she wished to avoid the issue, but eventually, Helena would tell him. Jesse had learned from experience that patience was more than a virtue when it came to Helena Kyle…it was a necessity.

Barbara sat on the balcony of the clocktower, watching the sun rise over New Gotham, signaling the dawning of a new day. One look at her eyes and anyone could see that the beauty of the sunrise was barely registering – her mind was otherwise occupied. The early morning rays touching her skin lent no warmth. The fiery shimmer they lent her red hair was ignored. Barbara Gordon's mind was elsewhere – focused on another time and place…remembering an event that would rock her world and change her life forever.

"Good morning, Miss Barbara."

The voice, normally so welcome and soothing, coming unexpected as it was, jarred Barbara out of her thoughts, eliciting a gasp as she realized that someone had walked up behind her unnoticed. Spinning her wheelchair around, Barbara turned to face the speaker. Alfred Pennyworth, servant, confidant, friend, and family member, stood just before the balcony doors, a knowing look playing upon his grandfatherly features.

"Oh, Alfred," Barbara blurted, once she could find her voice. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I should say you didn't. I certainly didn't mean to startle you," Alfred replied in a tone that told Barbara he knew exactly why she hadn't noticed his presence.

"Sorry. I was just lost in thought…"

"Thinking about a particular anniversary, were you?"

_Again, that knowing glint in Alfred's eye._ It alternately amused and infuriated Barbara to realize that Alfred knew her so well.

"Yes…I know it's been eight years, but…I just…it's hard Alfred. I mean, how, on the date of its anniversary, do you not think about the event that completely changed your life. I mean, one minute I was swinging across rooftops, fighting side-by-side with Batman and vanquishing crime from New Gotham. The next, I'm flat on my back, laying in a pool of blood…that…green-haired ghoul staring down at me, the smoking gun still in his hand as he cackles away at his own joke. And the next, I'm being told that I will forever be confined to a wheelchair, never to experience soaring above rooftops with the wind blowing in my hair…never to fight by my mentor's side…never to experience the life I once knew…" Her words trailed off as the coldness of the memory once again took hold.

Pausing to allow Barbara a moment to recover from her thoughts, Alfred offered his advice. "Perhaps the best way to deal with the horrors that this day represents is to realize the beauty it also represents. Other things occurred on this date…good things…such as a young woman coming to you on this very night one year ago, searching for answers and finding hope."

Alfred raised a questioning eyebrow, urging Barbara to recognize her folly.

"God, Dinah!" Barbara slammed her hand down on the arm of the wheelchair as what Alfred was saying sank in. "How could I forget that?"

"Exactly," Alfred admonished. "Now that we've roused you from your brooding, may I brew you some tea?"

Barbara glared. "I was not brooding."

"Of course you weren't." Alfred turned on his heel and walked toward the kitchen, Barbara following close behind.

"I was not!"

"Oh, perish the thought…Good morning, Miss Dinah! How would you like your eggs this morning?"

The blonde teenager had just entered the room and was amused at the sight of Barbara following Alfred, denying some unknown atrocity she had committed. Giggling, Dinah replied, "Alfred, you ask me the same question every day and I always give the same answer."

"Ah yes," Alfred cried, pointing at the ceiling for emphasis. "Scrambled."

Dinah laughed as she watched Alfred rush into the kitchen to begin the early morning ritual of preparing breakfast for the clocktower denizens. As she witnessed the banter between Dinah and Alfred, Barbara couldn't help but smile. Since Dinah had arrived, she had been like a breath of fresh air to them all. The teenager had been through quite a bit, yet still managed to avoid becoming jaded. Her energy and optimism had become infectious and there was no denying the positive effect she'd had on their little dysfunctional family since she'd joined them.

"Where's Helena?" Dinah asked. Barbara spotted the mischievous twinkle in her eye as she added, "She must be getting old. One long night of sweeps and she's too tired to raid the kitchen in the morning for Pop-Tarts?"

Barbara displayed what she liked to call her Teacher's Grin. She didn't want to betray her thoughts to her young protégé, but Barbara was actually worried that Helena hadn't yet arrived. This time of year was painful for both of them, but Helena took it especially hard. She had been very close to her mother and was devastated when Selina Kyle was murdered. Since the day she witnessed her mother's murder, Helena had undergone a profound change. Gone was the innocent teenager, replaced with a hardened, jaded woman who had been forced to grow up too quickly.

Barbara had taken Helena in at a time when she herself had been struggling to understand the new course her life had been forced to take. The both of them were so incredibly immersed in their own pain that they barely had time to acknowledge each other. Barbara's face blanched as she thought back to a date when her absorption in her own self-pity had almost cost her dearly. Barbara turned away from Dinah in an effort to hide her worry from the girl, but Dinah was too quick for her. Brow furrowed in concern, Dinah again inquired about Helena. Sighing, Barbara decided to answer truthfully…somewhat.

"Oh, she probably wants to be alone for a while. She can get like that this time of year. She'll probably show up later, though I don't know what kind of mood she'll be in. But I'm sure she'll be just as surly as ever." Barbara winked at Dinah before moving off toward the kitchen. But as she passed, Dinah thought she noticed real fear in Barbara's eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Stop him! Somebody stop him! Somebody stop him!" _

The words, screamed out in desperation by a young teenager years ago – the futility of those words still rang in Helena's mind as loudly as they had on the night her mother was murdered. She had begged the crowd of curious on-lookers to stop the man who had just plunged seven inches of cold, hard steel into her mother's abdomen before he got away. No one in the crowd had made a move toward him. All they did was stare as Helena desperately attempted to staunch the seemingly endless flow of blood. It had angered her as much then as it did now. Sure, they could watch the show – gawking at the scene like mindless spectators - but lift a finger to get involved? No way!

Helena sighed. Everyone she knew complained about the crime in New Gotham, but a very select few ever actually did anything about it. The night of her mother's murder had been the perfect example of the apathy that had taken over in the city. The crowd had gathered around Helena and the fallen Selina Kyle the moment they had heard her scream, but had parted like the Red Sea as soon as the murderer had turned to make his escape. It made Helena sick to think about it.

Helena leaned her back against the headboard of the bed and closed her eyes, letting the tears flow freely. Reese had left an hour ago and Helena now felt free to express the emotions that had been building up inside of her all morning. It was like this every year. People kept telling her that it would get easier with time…that the pain of the loss would never go away, but that it would hurt less. Eight years later, Helena could firmly attest to the fact that this statement was wholly untrue.

Sighing again, Helena reached for the frame on the nightstand beside her bed. It contained a picture of her and Selina taken at least a year before Selina's death. Helena had spent long, sleepless nights just staring at that picture, wishing that it had all been just a bad dream and that she would one day wake up to find herself lying in her apartment in Gotham Heights, the smell of Selina's special blend of coffee wafting into her bedroom as her mother prepared breakfast for the two of them. Helena glanced around at the small apartment she rented above the Dark Horse Bar, dark and nearly devoid of furniture, save for the bed, the nightstand and a couple of other necessities. This was a far cry from the home she knew all those years ago.

Helena shook her head. Eight years and the pain was still just as sharp as ever. It was the one constant in her life - everything else was changing. After Selina's tragic death, Helena had fought hard to keep herself numb. She didn't want to feel – didn't want to care about anyone, lest that person be stolen from her. But little by little, over the years, Helena had felt herself opening up…letting people in. It started with Barbara, when she took her in all those years ago. Then, there was Alfred. Of course, the two often found it hard to get past the emotional wall Helena had built for herself, but neither had given up trying and now, she considered both members of her family. Dinah came along a year ago, and, not without quite a bit of resistance, soon found a place in Helena's heart as the sister she'd never had. And then there was Reese…

_So much for staying clear of emotional ties._

A few months ago, Helena tried in vain to rebuild the steadily crumbling walls of emotional protection. But when Barbara was attacked at New Gotham High School and left for dead, Helena realized that she could no longer pretend that these people didn't have a special place in her heart. She had let herself care too much and there was no turning back now, even if that meant feeling pain down the road. That was why this year was different…why this dreaded anniversary was so different than all of the previous years.

Helena gently placed the picture frame back onto her nightstand and stood up, resolved in her decision. She had some errands to run before she could set the wheels in motion that would finally free her from the agony of this date. She glanced at the comm. set resting beside the picture frame. With a slight shake of her head, she turned and walked purposefully out of the apartment. She didn't want Barbara tracking her…not this time…


	3. Chapter 3

_BRRRRRINNNNG!!!!_

_Ah!_ For once, Barbara didn't dread the sound of the bell signifying the end of class and the beginning of a stampede of teenage feet as each student fought for the right to leave class first. For once, Barbara Gordon actually welcomed the annoying trill of the bell. As soon as the last student left the classroom, Barbara shut the door, locking it behind her. This was her free period and she needed to find Helena.

Barbara quickly steered her chair toward her desk, grabbing her suitcase as she went. She tugged the laptop from the suitcase and set to work on locating Helena. Barbara hoped against hope that Helena had decided to turn her comms back on, but as luck would have it, Helena was intent on keeping silent. If Helena didn't turn her comm. units back on, Barbara had no chance of finding Helena via GPS signal.

_Guess we're going to have to do this the hard way._

Sighing, Barbara tapped away at the keyboard, her fingers a blur as they entered commands and interfaced with other computers. It was what she liked to call the Duck and Run maneuver – interfacing with a bunch of servers and stealing their IP addresses, leaving an indiscernible trail behind her in an effort to trick whomever it was that might attempt to backtrack her movements when she finally happened upon her target. Anybody who tried to discover who had hacked into their highly sensitive, highly classified computer would likely backtrack to an IP address far across the county in some small town that was an insignificant spot on the map. If they made a move on that addy, they would discover that the individual they were seeking never existed in the first place. Barbara smiled. She was extremely worried about Helena, but there was no way she could deny how much fun it was to hack a secure system.

A stray thought stole the smile away as Barbara realized that her hunch might actually lead her in the wrong direction. If she was wrong and Helena was in trouble, she would have wasted precious minutes that could possibly save her life. And Helena had often needed saving since the death of Selina...

She thought back to the night she learned the tragic news of Selina's death…a night that ended in yet another tragic event visited upon herself. She had just returned from helping Batman bring the Clown Prince of Organized Crime to his knees. As she took a much deserved hot shower, allowing the stress and strain from that night to drain away with the water, she listened to a newscast of the events taking place that night.

_Criminals at the scene insist they were attacked by a mysterious masked vigilante who they call Batman and his partner, Batgirl. Veteran New Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon refused to comment, only to say that two unidentified law-enforcement agents were responsible for bringing The Joker into police custody and denied reports of any Batman or Batgirl at the scene…_

She had smiled at that last comment. Her father, the former New Gotham City Police Commissioner, James Gordon, would never have admitted that he was allowing two costumed crime fighting vigilantes to help him clean up the streets of New Gotham. He would keep their presence a secret…especially since he didn't know the identity of either Batman or Batgirl. James Gordon never wanted to be made a fool of. If he didn't know the identity of the two caped crusaders who just helped save New Gotham, he was damned if anyone was going to ask him embarrassing questions about that fact.

_We have a breaking story: A fatal stabbing in Downtown New Gotham. Reports are coming in that the victim is the infamous Selena Kyle, the mysterious and beautiful businesswoman, once accused of leading a double life as the jewel thief called Catwoman. It is now confirmed. She is dead at the scene. Catwoman is survived by her only daughter, Helena. Ms. Kyle has been romantically linked to the enigmatic millionaire Bruce Wayne._

Barbara had instantly thought of Helena and rushed to the phone when a knock sounded at her door. Thinking it was Helena, she rushed to open it, only to discover that she was sadly mistaken.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

_Knock, Knock. Who's there? Batgirl, past tense!_

_BANG!_

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

Barbara was jolted from her thoughts by an insistent knocking on her classroom door. Turning to see who it was, she half expected the clown-painted features of the Joker to be peering through the window pane. Instead, it was Dinah, looking a tad bit worried at having found the door to Barbara's classroom locked. Barbara quickly steered herself to the door and unlocked it, but to Dinah's surprise, she didn't invite her in.

"Barbara, why did you lock the door?"

Barbara brushed a stray lock of red hair from her face as she tried to put on a strong front for her teenage ward.

_Just because I'm worried about Helena, there's no reason to get Dinah upset._

"Sorry," she said, displaying a sheepish grin. "Things have been crazy today and I just needed a few moments of peace."

Dinah stared at Barbara for a moment, a knowing look clouding her features, then suddenly perked up. "Well, everyone's been acting a bit weird today. Considering the date, I can understand why. That's why I'm here – to take your mind off of things by buying you lunch…albeit the nasty cafeteria style lunch, but lunch nonetheless. I mean, after all, who can actually concentrate on the past when there's all that noise around them…not to mention having to watch your food to see that it doesn't actually start crawling off your tray…"

The teenager's good humor was infectious and Barbara couldn't help but laugh. She was about to tell Dinah that she would be delighted to join her for some rotten cafeteria food when they heard a beep come from Barbara's laptop. Frowning, Barbara hurried toward the laptop. Her brow furrowed as she read the words that had appeared on the computer screen.

"Oh no," she muttered.

Dinah strained to see the information that had her mentor so concerned. Peering around Barbara at the screen, Dinah realized that Barbara had hacked into one of the computers at Arkham Asylum. She was currently looking at the inmates' visitor logs, specifically that of an inmate named Clayface. Dinah gasped at the name of Clayface's most recent visitor…

Helena Kyle.


End file.
